FORT SILL, Okla. -- The Fires Center of Excellence and Fort Sill recognized eight instructors of the year during a ceremony Dec. 11 at Snow Hall's Kerwin Auditorium.
Two officers, two warrant officers, two noncommissioned officers and two Department of the Army civilians were recognized for excellence in instruction in their respective field artillery and air defense artillery categories.
Honored were:
-- Capt. Edward Stebbins, 1st Battalion, 30th FA, FA Basic Officer Leader Course B instructor.
-- Capt. Bill Nguyen, 1st Battalion, 56th ADA, ADA BOLC-B instructor.
-- Chief Warrant Officer 4 Andrew Murphy, 1-30th FA, FA Warrant Officer Basic Course instructor.
-- Chief Warrant Officer 3 Marc Nelson, 3rd Battalion, 6th ADA, ADA WOBC instructor.
-- Staff Sgt. Delvon McDaniel, Service Battery, 434th FA Detachment, Medical Situational Training Exercise NCOIC and Combat Lifesaver First Aid instructor.
-- Staff Sgt. William Baer, 3-6th ADA, MOS 14E Advanced Individual Training instructor.
-- Maycie Crozier, Professional Development Division FCoE, Army Basic Instructor Course instructor.
-- Terry Batty, 3-6th ADA, Patriot instructor.
These instructors take their jobs as teaching Soldiers very seriously. While they may not be in the field they are creating the path for those who will be.
"Many regard an instructor in Training and Doctrine as a period in one's career where you can 'take a knee.' These individuals believe that instructors perform a job which takes less time or carries less responsibility than one would perform belonging to a Forces Command unit," said Stebbins. "I respectfully disagree and submit that my time as an instructor has been the most demanding and influential part of my career."
"I feel that my greatest contribution as an instructor at Warrant Officer Basic Course has been my genuine passion for the students, curriculum, and reputation of the Warrant Officer Instruction Branch," said Murphy. "These junior officers must be prepared to depart a TRADOC environment, competently integrate themselves within a FORSCOM organization, defeat the enemy and prevail in any situation they may encounter."
Many of the instructors not only take the material and teach, but they also give the students working knowledge from their own personal experience.
"I feel that experience is the best teacher," said Nelson. "With that being said, I have developed a good working relationship and warrant officer mentorship program with 4th Battalion, 3rd ADA." "The greatest contribution I have brought to my students is the different and diverse levels of subject matter expertise that I make readily available to them.
For example, due to my multiple combat deployment experiences of serving four years in the contemporary operating environments of both Afghanistan and Iraq, I am able to articulate the various aspects of the learning events in relation to the lessons' technical and tactical objectives."
Crozier has the unique task of teaching future instructors. She does so by adjusting her teaching to the learning styles of the students.
"I meet these needs through general assessments, one-on-one discussions and facilitation of critical thinking opportunities. I constantly assess my students. I ask questions for specific reasons and for students' thoughts on the topics that we cover in each block of instruction," said Crozier.
McDaniel said he constantly learns and adapts from each class he instructs and always strives to improve. Because of that, he said every student personally connects to the material.
"The role of a combat lifesaver may serve as a Soldiers' secondary mission, but it is a very important mission combat multiplier, and a position necessary to preserving the fighting strength of our forces," said McDaniel.
For Baer, his goal goes beyond the classroom. He said he teaches Soldiers how to be ready for life in their unit.
"Without a shadow of a doubt, my greatest contributing factor has been the effort of building a brand new Soldier to be part of a team as well as part of the battery. I believe that my contributions to them will benefit them as Soldiers and benefit their units to allow the overall Air Defense Mission to be accomplished," said Baer.
For Batty, the stress of teaching is worth it when he remembers the end goal.
"Working to push my students through the fog of uncertainty and calamity of confusion requires sacrifice and patience that is constantly tested. On those days when I come home and my patience is beyond exhaustion, and frustration has all but conquered my mentality, I am comforted in the knowledge that days like this have paved the way to make FORSCOM units far more efficient."
Each Soldier received an Army Commendation Medal, a commanding general's two-star note of commendation and a commander's coin. The civilian instructors received a Commander's Award for civilian service, a commanding general's two-star note of commendation and a commander's coin.
The instructors will move on to TRADOC-level competition in the spring.
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